Chapter 32
It had been about a week since Jimmy came to stay with Kim, Joey and Charlie. He was making great progress and was due to see the neurologist in two days for follow-up. His minor scrapes and bruises had healed, but he was still having some pretty bad headaches.
It was 3:00 and he'd just finished giving Charlie a bottle of juice and laying her down for a short nap. Joey should be coming through the door after school any minute and Jimmy took the spare time to grab a shower and shave. Just as he stepped out of the shower, the phone rang.
"Hello," he said into the phone.
"Hi Jimmy. How's it going?" Kim asked from the other end of the phone.
"As good as it was the last time you called. What was that fifteen minutes ago?" he said sarcastically.
"I'm just worried. I don't want you to overdue too much," Kim said.
"Kim. I'm fine. I told you that. Just get to work and don't worry about us. I know where you are if I need you," he said, trying to reassure her.
"Okay. Bobby's number is by the phone if you need him. And, he'll be by at 5:30 to pick up Joey for football practice at 6:00, but Joey knows he can only go if his homework is all done," she said to Jimmy.
Immediately Jimmy felt his stomach tighten at the mention of Bobby's name. He knew that he'd been there to help Kim through everything, but that wasn't his choice. He didn't know anything about what she was going through or he would have been on the first plane out here. And the fact that Bobby was still doing so much for HIS kids and Kim - while he was right here - was starting to grate on him.
"Kim. I told you that I was taking Joey to football practice tonight," he argued.
"Jimmy, I just don't think that's a good idea. You're still not 100 percent and Bobby knows the routine and everything," Kim tried to argue back.
"Kim. I'm Joey's father and I'M taking him to practice. I already have a bag packed for Charlie and I can play with her at the playground while Joey's practicing on the other side of the field. Kim, I want to do this - I NEED to do this," he insisted.
"Maybe if Bobby picked you all up and went with you?" Kim tried.
"No. That's why I brought you to work today. So I would have your car to take Joey and Charlie to practice," he said.
"I thought that was supposed to be in case you needed to go get Joey from school if he got sick or something," she countered.
"Well, yeah. That too. Kim, really. I'm fine and I'm taking my son and daughter to the park and that's final," he said hanging up the phone just as he heard the front door open and the now familiar plop of Joey's book bag in the front hallway.
"Hang it up!" Jimmy yelled out cheerfully to him from the kitchen.
"Oh yeah. Sorry, Bob- I mean Dad," Joey replied. Another notch of tightness turned in Jimmy's stomach. He took a deep breath and put a smile on his face as he headed out to the front door to greet Joey.
"So, how was your day at school?" he asked him as the two walked into the living room.
"Okay. The usual stuff. Mrs. O'Neil had her baby last night so she's out for the rest of the year," he said, with an evil grin on his face.
Jimmy smiled, knowing exactly what Joey was thinking. "I hope you and your classmates aren't planning on giving the substitute a hard time. Because you know, the substitutes that fill in for teachers that are on maternity leave are just as hard if not harder than your real teacher. They are real teachers and they don't take any garbage from you kids," he said, chuckling.
"I know, I know. Mrs. O'Neil said the same thing last week," Joey said, rolling his eyes.
"Okay," Jimmy said abruptly. "Snack is in the kitchen and the table is ready for homework. Don't forget you have practice tonight and you can't go unless your homework's done first."
"What time is Bobby coming to get me? Practice starts at 6:00," he asked Jimmy, sitting down and opening his book bag to start his homework.
Jimmy took another deep breath and said, "I'm taking you to practice tonight. I wanna see how you're doing."
"Great!" Joey said with excitement. "Well, at least somebody seems glad that I'm here," Jimmy thought to himself.
"Get busy," Jimmy said, pointing to the papers in front of Joey. "I hear Charlie," he said going to get her.
As he climbed the stairs to Charlie's room he stopped in the middle of the stairs to regain his balance. "Must've moved too fast," he thought, pushing the feeling away and continuing up to get Charlie.
It had been about a week since Jimmy came to stay with Kim, Joey and Charlie. He was making great progress and was due to see the neurologist in two days for follow-up. His minor scrapes and bruises had healed, but he was still having some pretty bad headaches.
It was 3:00 and he'd just finished giving Charlie a bottle of juice and laying her down for a short nap. Joey should be coming through the door after school any minute and Jimmy took the spare time to grab a shower and shave. Just as he stepped out of the shower, the phone rang.
"Hello," he said into the phone.
"Hi Jimmy. How's it going?" Kim asked from the other end of the phone.
"As good as it was the last time you called. What was that fifteen minutes ago?" he said sarcastically.
"I'm just worried. I don't want you to overdue too much," Kim said.
"Kim. I'm fine. I told you that. Just get to work and don't worry about us. I know where you are if I need you," he said, trying to reassure her.
"Okay. Bobby's number is by the phone if you need him. And, he'll be by at 5:30 to pick up Joey for football practice at 6:00, but Joey knows he can only go if his homework is all done," she said to Jimmy.
Immediately Jimmy felt his stomach tighten at the mention of Bobby's name. He knew that he'd been there to help Kim through everything, but that wasn't his choice. He didn't know anything about what she was going through or he would have been on the first plane out here. And the fact that Bobby was still doing so much for HIS kids and Kim - while he was right here - was starting to grate on him.
"Kim. I told you that I was taking Joey to football practice tonight," he argued.
"Jimmy, I just don't think that's a good idea. You're still not 100 percent and Bobby knows the routine and everything," Kim tried to argue back.
"Kim. I'm Joey's father and I'M taking him to practice. I already have a bag packed for Charlie and I can play with her at the playground while Joey's practicing on the other side of the field. Kim, I want to do this - I NEED to do this," he insisted.
"Maybe if Bobby picked you all up and went with you?" Kim tried.
"No. That's why I brought you to work today. So I would have your car to take Joey and Charlie to practice," he said.
"I thought that was supposed to be in case you needed to go get Joey from school if he got sick or something," she countered.
"Well, yeah. That too. Kim, really. I'm fine and I'm taking my son and daughter to the park and that's final," he said hanging up the phone just as he heard the front door open and the now familiar plop of Joey's book bag in the front hallway.
"Hang it up!" Jimmy yelled out cheerfully to him from the kitchen.
"Oh yeah. Sorry, Bob- I mean Dad," Joey replied. Another notch of tightness turned in Jimmy's stomach. He took a deep breath and put a smile on his face as he headed out to the front door to greet Joey.
"So, how was your day at school?" he asked him as the two walked into the living room.
"Okay. The usual stuff. Mrs. O'Neil had her baby last night so she's out for the rest of the year," he said, with an evil grin on his face.
Jimmy smiled, knowing exactly what Joey was thinking. "I hope you and your classmates aren't planning on giving the substitute a hard time. Because you know, the substitutes that fill in for teachers that are on maternity leave are just as hard if not harder than your real teacher. They are real teachers and they don't take any garbage from you kids," he said, chuckling.
"I know, I know. Mrs. O'Neil said the same thing last week," Joey said, rolling his eyes.
"Okay," Jimmy said abruptly. "Snack is in the kitchen and the table is ready for homework. Don't forget you have practice tonight and you can't go unless your homework's done first."
"What time is Bobby coming to get me? Practice starts at 6:00," he asked Jimmy, sitting down and opening his book bag to start his homework.
Jimmy took another deep breath and said, "I'm taking you to practice tonight. I wanna see how you're doing."
"Great!" Joey said with excitement. "Well, at least somebody seems glad that I'm here," Jimmy thought to himself.
"Get busy," Jimmy said, pointing to the papers in front of Joey. "I hear Charlie," he said going to get her.
As he climbed the stairs to Charlie's room he stopped in the middle of the stairs to regain his balance. "Must've moved too fast," he thought, pushing the feeling away and continuing up to get Charlie.